Module: Pallative Care (Level 1 & 2)

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Pallative Care (Level 1 & 2)
Module Code	NS5127 (ITS) / NUR1140 (Banner)
Faculty	Science & Health	School	Nursing, PsyT & Comm Health
Module Co-ordinator	Mary Nevin
Module Teachers	-
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

The palliative care approach should be a core skill of every clinician. This module aims to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to identify and manage people’s palliative care needs from diagnosis of a chronic or life limiting illness to end-of-life care in a variety of healthcare settings. The module will be of interest to those working in primary, secondary and specialist areas, and aims to increase the students’ competence in delivering best practice palliative and end-of-life care. Module content is underpinned by National Palliative Care policy and the Palliative Care Clinical Competency Framework. This module employs a blended learning experience with two full days in DCU and 12 weeks online education which includes lectures, interactive videos, workshops, and discussion forums.

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate an understanding of the concepts of total pain and suffering, theoretical perspectives of loss, grief, death and dying, and the philosophy and principles of a palliative approach
2. Critically evaluate the assessment and management of pain and other common symptoms physical, psychosocial, and spiritual, for people with advanced disease and at end-of-life
3. Demonstrate a systematic higher-level understanding of the effective use of communication skills to support and enable therapeutic relationships with the person who has a chronic or life-limiting condition, including those experiencing cognitive deficits/reduced cognitive ability, and her/his family
4. Critically explore ethical decision-making at end-of-life for the person, family/significant others and the multi-disciplinary team
5. Demonstrate the ability to integrate a palliative care approach for people with chronic or life limiting illness
6. Demonstrate and critically appraise the importance of self-care in environments where staff consistently work with people experiencing dying, death, loss and bereavement

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	20	No Description
Tutorial	6	Facilitated peer discussion
Workshop	12	Skills sessions
Online activity	30	No Description
Professional Practice	30	Reflective learning in practice
Independent Study	152	Self-directed study based on indicative content and reading list
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

National and International policy, standards and guidelines in the provision of palliative care

Palliative care needs assessment tools; recognising palliative care needs in the context of various disease trajectories

Palliative approach in marginalised groups and underserved populations
Including cultural and gender issues associated with palliative care.

Ethical and legal issues associated with palliative and end-of-life care
Advance care planning, voluntary stopping of eating and drinking, wish to hasten death, withholding/withdrawing treatments.

Evidence-based approaches to management of common symptoms experienced at end-of-life
Pain, gastrointestinal symptoms; respiratory symptoms; psychological symptoms; spiritual symptoms and suffering.

Palliative care emergencies

End of life care; anticipation and management of deterioration, medications, and syringe drivers.

Moral distress and self-care

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	n/a	100%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Ferrell B.R. & Coyle N.: 2008, The nature of suffering and the goals of nursing, Oxford University Press, New York, New York.,
Saunders, C.: 2006, Cicely Saunders: Selected Writings 1958-2004, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
Walshe C., Preston N., Johnson B.: 2018, Palliative Care Nursing: Principles and Evidence for Practice, 3, Open University Press, London.,

Other Resources

59526, Report, Government of Ireland, 2017, Committee on the Future of Healthcare: Slaintecare, Dublin, Government of Ireland, 59527, Report, National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, 2019, Adult Palliative Care Services Model of Care for Ireland., Dublin, National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, Clinical Strategy and Programmes Division., 59528, Report, Ryan K., Connolly M., Charnley K., Ainscough A., Crinion J., Hayden C., Keegan O., Larkin P. & et al, 2014, Palliative Care Competence Framework., Dublin, Health Service Executive, 59529, Report, National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, 2014, Palliative Care Needs Assessment Guidance., Dublin., National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, Clinical Strategy and Programmes Division, Dublin., 59530, Website, 0, HSE National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/palliative-care/, 59531, Website, 0, All Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care, Palliative Hub Palliative Hub, https://thepalliativehub.com/,